Clothespin



H. BOYNTON Nov,a 22, 1949 CLOTHESPIN Filed NOV. 14, 1944 Patented Nov. 22, 1949 UNITED STATES TENT GFFICE CLOTHESPIN Harold Boynton, Detroit, Mich.

Application November 14, 1944, Serial No. 563,372

1 Claim.

My present invention has reference, in its broad aspect, to improvements in clothes pins, and more particularly it is my purpose to provide a clothes pin which has means for gripping the line and the clothes over the line to prevent displacement of the pin by the wind or movement of the clothes or the like, and my pin is provided with a lateral elevation or protuberance designed to engage the line or the clothes on the line, and when downward pressure is exerted on the handle of the pin, the handle will exert leverage on the jaws of the pin when moved side ways to permit ready detachment of the pin from the line. In accomplishing the above and other objects, I provide a pin which may be formed of wood or the like and which has an enlarged head and spaced, relatively parallel and springy or slightly flexible legs. The ends of the legs are beveled and a protuberance or enlargement is provided at the side of the pin and opposed transverse notches in the legs to grip the line. My pin is simple and sturdy in construction, is preferably formed in one piece and is easy to manufacture.

Other and equally important objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description and drawings, but interpretation of the scope of my invention should only be conclusive when made in the light of the subjoined claim.

In the drawings wherein I have illustrated a preferred form of my invention:

Figure 1 is a vertical elevation of an embodiment of the invention in gripping position on a clothes line;

Figure 2 is a vertical elevation with thepinperse turned 180 degrees from its position as shown in Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is a view of my pin as shown in Figure 2 on a line and about to be removed from gripping position on the line.

In the drawings wherein like characters of reference are used to designate like or similar parts:

The numeral l designates my clothes pin which may be formed of wood or the like and has a head 2 which becomes gradually greater in diameter toward the end. The pin is formed with a longitudinal slot 3 extending from the end of body opposite the head 2 and terminating at a point remote from said head, the slot forming spaced, parallel legs 4 having beveled ends 5 and at a point adjacent to the head each leg is formed with a transverse semi-circular groove 6 which grooves register to receive and clamp the clothes 1 and line 8 therebetween to prevent displacement by the wind or the like. A protuberance or enlargement 9 is formed on the side of the pin in the space l0 between the head 2 and the terminating point of the slot 3 and extends outwardly of the pin laterally thereof to provide a leverage element to engage the line 8 when the pin is moved sideways to permit ready disengagement and removal of the pin.

From the foregoing it is believed that the operation and advantages of my invention will be apparent, but it is emphasized that interpretation of its scope should only be conclusive when made in the light of the subjoined claim.

I claim:

A clothespin comprising an elongated body having a longitudinally-directed slot extending through a portion thereof and forming spaced cooperating approximately parallel legs, the opposed inner walls of the legs having transversely directed aligned grooves facing toward one another to form a gripping channel for a clothesline, said body having thereon a head portion and a laterally extending protuberance positioned above the terminating point of said slot and projecting laterally in the same direction as the slot, said protuberance having a lateral shoulder extending outwardly from said body and spaced longitudinally away from said grooves whereby to provide a fulcrum facilitating disengaging and removing the pin from the clothesline when said head portion is swung downwardly toward the clothesline.

HAROLD BOYNTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 643,533 Prime Feb. 13, 1900 '788,461 Foote Apr. 25, 1905 2,210,214 Noll Aug. 6, 1940 2,321,563 Penley June 8, 1943 

